Women's Basketball | 1/18/2026 10:24:00 AM

Box Score The Cloud County Community College women's basketball team defeated Independence Community College, 79-59, in Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) play on Saturday, January 17. With the win, the T-Birds improved to 8-9 overall and 4-6 in KJCCC action.

Freshman guard Marilyn Soeken paced the T-Birds with a season-high 20 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Soeken converted on 3-of-7 from three-point range and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. Freshman guard Amanda Makela had a season-best 19 points with four made three-pointers, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Leila Washington tallied her fourth double-double of the season with 11 points, a season-high 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. Sophomore forward Shea Wurtz had 10 points and seven rebounds, while freshman guard Camiah Muldrow scored 10 points and added five rebounds and three assists.

As a team, the T-Birds hit 25-of-55 (45.5 percent) from the floor, made a season-best 11 three-pointers while shooting 42.3 percent from long-range, and converted 18-of-26 (69.2 percent) from the foul line. The T-Birds outrebounded the Pirates, 46-35.

Cloud County dominated the first ten minutes, keyed by five three-pointers to grab a 33-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. Soeken had a pair of triples, while Makela, Muldrow and Washington finished the period with one three each. Makela added two more treys in the second quarter, but the T-Birds finished the frame connecting on just 2-of-11 from the field while turning the ball over eight times. Cloud County took a 45-23 lead into halftime.

Coming out of the break, Independence unloaded a 22-8 run to trim Cloud County's lead down to eight points at 53-45 with 2:06 remaining in the third quarter. The T-Birds regrouped and pushed its lead back to 12 points, 59-47, at the end of the period.

Cloud County outscored Independence 18-8 to open the fourth quarter, grabbing a 22-point advantage at 77-55 on another Makela three-pointer with 3:01 to go. The Pirates were limited to one field-goal over the game's final three minutes and Cloud County snapped a two-game conference losing streak with the win.

The T-Birds return to action on Wednesday, January 21 when they travel to Liberal, Kansas to take on the Seward County Saints at 6 pm.